Body positivity coach Michelle Elman was sick of being thought of as the ”fat friend” and all of the negative connotations that go along with the phrase, so she shared an Instagram post to speak out about it.

The 23-year-old British woman made headlines when she started her #ScarredNotScared campaign. According to her website, Elman had suffered a brain tumor, punctured intestine, obstructed bowel, a cyst in her brain and hydrocephalus (a condition in which there is extra fluid in and around the brain)—all by the time she was 20 years old. Over that period, Elman underwent 15 surgeries, which left her with scars on her abdomen that she felt looked like fat rolls, so from that time on, she avoided showing them in public. In July 2014, Elman decided she was done hiding herself and wore a bikini for the first time. She wrote a blog post about the experience that went viral and has since become a voice of body positivity. Now she’s taking to her Instagram account to address another issue she’s faced throughout her life.

On Sunday, Elman posted a photo of herself and a friend in their bras about to jump into a fjord in Norway. The photo is great, but the caption is the important part.

“There’s a stereotype around being the ‘fat girl’ in a friendship group,” Elman wrote. “She’s the one who sits on the sidelines and never joins in. She’s the one perpetually single and sits silently while all her friends discuss their love life because, god forbid, if she actually finds a boyfriend, she would never be comfortable naked or in the bedroom. She’s the insecure one, the one constantly complaining about her body and talking about diets.”

She goes on to say that she has been considered the “fat friend” since she was 11, but rightfully felt that the stereotypes were unfair. Despite her insecurities, she never sat inside — she refused to be someone who missed out on life.

“The difference between now and then is that there’s no hesitation, there are no second thoughts, and when my friend suggested jumping in the fjord, I was all ‘Hell, yeah!’ ” she says. “Before I would have said yes reluctantly, spent the time hiding as much of my body as possible until the last moment, definitely worn a top, and definitely wouldn’t have taken photos, let alone been in them. Now I’m the one suggesting photos, I was the first to whip off my top, and the thought that my body was different wasn’t there.”

Elman also addresses the fact that many people, regardless of their body type, may miss out on opportunities like this one because they feel self-conscious. But that’s what fuels her body positivity. “Body positivity isn’t about being able to take underwear selfies, it’s about not letting your underwear or your swimsuit be the reason you aren’t taking part,” she says.

Most important, she says, if you are around the right people, you won’t ever be made to feel like the "fat friend," and those are the people worth spending time with. We couldn't agree more.